This invention relates to a camera equipped with a data imprinting device which is disposed at a side of a camera body.
A camera equipped with a data imprinting device is disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2-304538. The data imprinting device disclosed in this publication comprises a substrate having a light emitting element and its driving means, which is disposed on an outer periphery of a spool chamber of a camera body or on an outer periphery of a cartridge thereof. A rectangular space is formed on a photographic optical axis between a dark chamber of the camera body and the spool chamber. The rectangular space includes an optical means for transferring light from the light emitting element to a surface of a film.
According to such a conventional camera, the optical means of the data imprinting system is disposed in the rectangular space formed between the dark chamber of the camera body and the spool chamber, so that a width of the camera must be increased by the width of the rectangular space. Thus a data imprinting device according to the prior art absolutely requires a special space in the camera.
It is therefore a main object of this invention to provide a camera equipped with a data imprinting device, in which the width dimension of the camera need not be enlarged.
Briefly stated, the present invention provides camera with a data imprinting device including a generally triangular space adjacent a film spool. A roller, used to conform the film to the film spool is urged into said triangular space when the film diameter on the roller approaches a maximum diameter. A portion of an optical system for the data imprinting device is also located in the triangular space. The periods of film drive pulses are averaged to establish periods of data imprinting pulses. A plurality of the data imprinting pulses are generated for each fill drive pulse. In a full size mode of operation, a first set of the drive imprinting pulses are used to record imprinting data. In a panorama mode of operation, a second set of the data imprinting pulses are used to record the imprinting data. The second set of data imprinting pulses contains more data imprinting pulses than the first set of data imprinting pulses, whereby the data imprinted in panorama mode occupies a shorter length of the film than does the data imprinted in full size mode.
According to an embodiment of the invention, there is provided a camera comprising: means for selecting at least one of a first screen size and a second screen size, means for producing a feeding pulse signal, means, responsive to the feeding pulse signal for feeding a film, means for generating a first data imprinting signal having a first period when the first screen size is selected, means for generating a second data imprinting signal having a second period when the second screen size is selected, the first and second periods being related to a period of the feeding pulse signal, and means, responsive to one of the first and second data imprinting signals for imprinting data in a screen on the film as it is advanced by the means for feeding a film.
According to a feature of the invention, there is provided a camera comprising: a camera body, a plurality of light emitting elements, optical means for focussing light emitted from the plurality of light emitting elements on a surface of a photosensitive means, means for forming imprinted data from the light focussed on the surface of the photosensitive means, means for exposing the surface of the photosensitive means to light from an object to be photographed, a spool, the photosensitive means being wound on the spool, a maximum circle of the photosensitive means wound on the spool forming, with an interior of the camera body, a generally triangular shaped space, and at least a portion of the optical means being disposed in the generally triangular space, whereby an outside dimension of the camera is reduced.
According to a further feature of the invention, there is provided apparatus for imprinting data in a camera, the camera being of a type capable of exposing a photosensitive medium in at least a full size mode and a panorama mode, comprising: first means for generating first pulses, means, responsive to the first pulses for advancing the photosensitive medium, means for calculating an average period between the first pulses, second means for generating second pulses, the second means including means for generating at least a first and a second of the second pulses for each of the first pulses, third means, responsive to the first of the second pulses for energizing a plurality of sources of light in a pattern effective to imprint a first pattern of data on the photosensitive medium, fourth means, responsive to both the first and the second of the second pulses for energizing the plurality of sources of light in a pattern effective to imprint a second pattern of data on the photosensitive medium, and the first pattern having a length substantially equal to an integral multiple of the second pattern.
The above, and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals designate the same element.